Fluffy in Boots
by acosta perez jose ramiro
Summary: The famous feline fairy tale, Rugrats style.
1. Enter The Cat

Hey, everyone, welcome back! So, I'm here again, and… (Ehem! Excuse me, but, did you say 'I'? Aren't missing something, or someone?) Sorry… so, we are here again, Angelica and yours truly (Much better.), for another famous fairy tale's parody. (The original author must be rolling on his tomb.) Come on, you don't really mean that. (Of course not… he must be reduced to dust by now, and there's nothing left to roll.)

Okay, Miss Sympathy, can you please read the disclaimer? (Do I detect some sarcasm here? Fine, here I go. DISCLAIMER: Acosta, as you guys already know, doesn't own any Rugrats/AGU character, all of us owned by Nickelodeon; the original 'Puss in Boots' story, apparently, was written by Charles Perrault, an awful bunch of years ago, therefore it's public knowledge and can be used without messing with anyone's copyright.)

Thanks, Angelica. Now, a quick author note; as must of my parodies, this story will have a lot of narration by one character, all of it written in italics.

(And, now we had finished… on with the show!)

**Fluffy in Boots.**

**A Rugrats/AGU story by Acosta Pérez José Ramiro.**

**- Enter The Cat.**

"Thanks for being here so fast, Taffy," Didi Pickles received the teenage nanny at her home. "I have to take Dil to the doctor for his check-up, and it's a little hard to take all the kids with me. My husband was supposed to watch them today, but he got a last-minute call from a carnival to make a deal involving one of his inventions."

"Is fine, Mrs. Pickles; I have no previous engagements today, and I like to spend time with the Minis." The girl replied while entering the house, "So, who I'm going to take care of today? Is the whole group, or just Tommy and the twins, or him and the Finsters?"

"Actually, is the whole group, including Angelica. Susie is the only one who isn't here because her family is out for the weekend." Didi explained while she and Taffy went upstairs, the woman to get Dil, and the teen to listen the rest of her instructions.

On the meantime, at the backyard, Angelica was pacing back and forth in front of the babies, who were on a line in front of her, while the blonde was trying to think on a good game.

"Well, since I'm stuck with you babies for today, at least let's do something fun… I got it!" Angelica exclaimed, getting a sly grin a moment later, "Let's play you guys are innocent villagers, and I'm the vampire that looks for victims."

"Vampire? That's scary!" Chuckie gulped and covered his neck with both hands.

"Uh… Angelica, we were thinking that maybe we can play with the blocks today." Tommy suggested. Angelica eyed him angrily, but returned to her sly grin immediately.

"That's not a bad idea… then, you can build a city, and I'm the huge monster that destroys it!" Angelica ended with a devilish laugh.

"AngeliKong strikes again." Phil rolled his eyes at Lil, who nodded and sighed.

"That's not nice, Angelica. You always want to break everything we do." Kimi folded her arms.

"Hey, it's not my fault breaking things is so funny!" Angelica snapped, and sighed in annoyance. "Okay, how about this? We are going to play you babies are looking for treasures… like, cookies or candy… and then, I, Pirate Angelica steals it from you, and…"

"You eat all of it and we have nothing, right?" Lil frowned; the rest of the babies got similar expressions, surprising the blonde.

"What's up with you babies today? Too much powder in the diapers, or what?" Angelica said, confused.

"Is just that we're tired of you always doing nasty things to us, Angelica; you break our things, say lies, fool us, scare us, steal our candy, and many other things we can not remember now!" Tommy groaned. Angelica looked at the other babies, who were nodding and frowning at her, except Chuckie, who had a hesitant expression.

"Come on, Chuckie, aren't you tired of Angelica always being nasty with us?" Kimi, noticing her brother's look, turned at him; Chuckie looked at her and the other babies, and then at Angelica, who had a half-anxious, half-stunned expression.

"Uh… you are… not a good girl?" Chuckie replied, talking nervously, and fearing Angelica's reaction.

"Oh." Angelica turned slightly to avoid eye-contact with him, and stood there, not knowing what to do; it wasn't the first time the babies stood up against her, but they had never been this serious before.

"Hello, Minis!"

The babies turned and smiled widely when spotting Taffy; Angelica shook her head and smiled as well, yet it was obvious the smile wasn't entirely honest. The nanny sat next to the group, and started singing at them, as she usually did when babysitting; after a while, she noticed Angelica wasn't in a very good mood, and decided to talk with her.

"Okay, Minis, I'm bringing some juice and cookies Tommy's mom left for you," Taffy said to the babies, and then turned at the blonde. "Want to come with me, Angelica?"

"Sure… whatever," Angelica replied, looking a little down. Taffy now was more than convinced there was something wrong with the girl.

Angelica and Taffy entered the kitchen, and the nanny opened the fridge to take out the juice while Angelica simply stood next to her, supporting her back against the fridge. Taffy placed the juice at the table, and kneeled to talk at Angelica's face.

"Angelica, do you feel okay? Are you sick or something?"

"Uh… no, Taffy… I'm fine, really." Angelica said in a very unconvincing tone.

"Angelica, I'm your nanny, and if you have a problem, it's my job to try solving it, or at least make you feel a little better. Come on, you can tell me." Taffy insisted; Angelica decided that, since Taffy was a grown-up, but still a lot younger than her parents, she could be trusted and maybe have an idea to help her.

"It's just that… well, the babies… not that I really care, of course, I mean, I'm a big girl and all… but… they no longer want to play with me."

"Well, maybe it's because they don't get how to play big children's games."

"No, we always play… played… games we all could understand, but… today I proposed some games, and even ordered them, but… still said they didn't want to play with me any more."

Taffy rubbed her chin; of course, the teen couldn't understand baby-talking, but she guessed Angelica was close enough to the babies' age so actually they could communicate at a certain level.

"And, when you play with them… what's your role?"

"Rock and Roll, but only when we play music, and we're still learning…"

"No, not 'Roll', Angie, your 'role'," Taffy explained as trying to hold a chuckle, "is the character you play as; you know, the leader, the princess, the nice girl, or whatever you normally play like."

"The villain." Angelica sighed and looked down.

"Hey, don't feel bad for that, Angelica. The villain is a very important role in any story or game."

"Is just that… I like playing villain, Taffy, but sometimes I wish I could be the good one for once!" Angelica said, a little bit too loudly, "But I can't stop playing villain! Even when I start the game as one of the good guys, I always end playing as the main bad one. And that's the only way I know how to play, and… I do it so good the babies no longer want to play with the big, bad girl."

Angelica was now at the verge of tears. The girl always claimed to not really need the babies, and be annoyed by them, but it was far from true; she loved the attention, and hated to be left out of anything, so she had to include herself on everything, even if needing to do it as the bad one. The idea of them no longer allowing her to play, or organize the games, was just too much for the blonde.

"You know, you can play the hero even if you act as a villain, Angelica." Taffy said as gently washing a little tear coming down the girl's cheek.

"Uh? What do you mean?"

"Well, that some heroes can lie, cheat, and do some naughty things once in a while, and still be heroes."

"But… heroes aren't supposed to always be nice and say the truth, and all that?" Angelica gave the nanny a puzzled look.

"Yeah, most of them do it, but I know someone who became a hero by acting as a mischievous little guy." Taffy said as standing up and motioning Angelica to follow her. The nanny grabbed the juice while Angelica carried the cookies' bowl, and they went back with the babies.

"Okay, Minis, let's sit down, and get a cookie, because I'm telling you a story." Taffy said as sitting at the lawn, with Angelica and the babies circling her and each picking up either a cookie or a little glass with juice. "Is a tale about a very smart kitty, and I know you'll like it."

"What's the kitty's name?" Angelica asked, feeling suddenly very curious about the tale.

"Let's see… you can give the kitty a name, if you want, Angelica."

"How about 'Fluffy', like my pet?"

"I can work with that. Okay, this is the tale of the Fluffy in Boots…"

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

_Once upon a time… I wonder why tales can't give exact dates… there was a kingdom on a very far away land. On this place, there was a boy who had lost his mommy and his daddy, and he had to take care of himself._

The scene shows an ancient barn, with a boy sitting at the hay. He is Tommy, on his 'All Grown Up' looks, wearing poor villager clothing, and reading from a large sheet of paper. Next to him, and looking at the boy, is Fluffy, Angelica's cat (on her 'Rugrats' young version), with an expecting face.

"Let's see what I got left." Tommy says to the cat as checking the paper, "According to the will, my dad left the mill, and the bank account, to my oldest brother… the donkey, and the DVD collection, to my other brother… and, for me, the youngest… I get the cat, and whatever money is left at the piggy bank."

Tommy gives a long look at the cat, and sighs, rolling his eyes.

"And Dad always said he wasn't playing favorites." Tommy starts petting the cat, and looks at his feet, with a little piggy bank next to them. "Guess it's just the two of us now, Fluffy; hope you can catch some mice to feed yourself, because I'll need the money for me."

The cat arches an eyebrow at Tommy, and gets a sad expression.

"Fine; I'll still buy you your cottage cheese and the sardines in tomato sauce… God, I'm that easy to convince?" Tommy says to himself as the cat gets a little grin.

_That night, while the boy was sleeping, the cat left the barn, looking for a midnight snack._

"Just my luck," the cat talks to herself, with Angelica's voice, "One day I have a nice place to live, and suddenly I get stuck at this dumpster with that poor loser… and there's no way I'm hunting for food; at this point, I wouldn't be surprised if all the mice I catch have the plague."

The cat then hears a sound coming from a nearby bush, and gets an attacking position.

"Okay, pal, here are your options; if you're a dog, let me warn you I have the rabies, a 300 pounds cousin resting at the barn, and a black collar in Meow-Fu; if you're another cat, scram, because this is my territory; and if you're a healthy mouse, or a bird, get out with the paws or wings up, and bring some ketchup."

"No… please, I want no troubles." Chuckie's voice is heard, and, a moment later, a brown puppy, with a gray spot around his left eye, and a messy bunch of red fur on top of his head, emerges from the bush.

"Great, a dog… can't live with them, can't make them a sandwich either." The feline rolls her eyes, unimpressed, since realizing the dog is hardly her size and therefore isn't a menace.

"Sorry, I didn't want to bother you." The dog explains in a shy tone, "I'm just looking for a place to stay… I used to live at the palace, but I'm a stray now and…"

"Wait a moment!" Fluffy wide opens her eyes, "You lived at the palace…THE PALACE… with the King, the Queen, the servants, nice soft pillows, warm meals, and no need for hunting your lunch?"

"Uh… yes." The dog says, surprised at the cat's sudden enthusiasm. "I was supposed to grow up as one of the palace guard dogs, but… I got rejected for being a scaredy cat; no offense."

"None taken," the cat smiles slyly, "So, you know how to enter the palace, uh? Maybe I can go there, and, once everyone notices my nice looks and elegance, I'll immediately become the royal pet, and all my problems will be solved! Can you do me that favor, please, dog? Just show me how to enter, and I'll do the rest." The cat says in a surprisingly nice tone.

"Well, sure, if you want." The dog shrugs, and motions the cat to follow him. However, after a few minutes, the feline stops and gets a sad expression while looking back.

"Anything's wrong?"

"Is just that… well… I have a confession to make, dog." the cat sighs, "I'm not a stray; I actually have a collaborator…"

"Collaborator?"

"Yeah; cats have no owners, but collaborators; some people like to think they're our masters, but hey, that's their opinion, and as long as they can open our tuna cans and clean the litter box, cats are fine with that." Fluffy replies as getting back her grin, but the sad expression returns immediately, "Anyway, this boy had been taking care of me since I was just a little kitten, and now he's on a very bad situation. His brothers got all his parents' worthy things, sold them, and left to a very far away kingdom… I think is called Las Vegas or something… and he only has a little money left; I'm the only thing he has in the world."

"But… if that's truth, then you can't leave!" The dog exclaims. "Even if you claim to him not owning you, you still owe him for taking care, feeding and protecting, and abandoning him wouldn't be nice."

"I know… having a conscience isn't exactly easy, you know, dog? I want to have a nice, careless life, but I would like him to have a good one as well."

"Too bad you can't make him rich or something like that."

Fluffy is then hit by inspiration, and rubs her chin in thought.

"Who says we can't?"

"Wait, did you say 'we'? You mean, plural, as in, the two of us?" The dog gulps, not liking the cat's expression at all.

"Well, dog, you are the one giving me the lecture about loyalty, so is your duty to teach by setting the example."

"Me and my big muzzle," The dog says to himself, "Fine, but two things; one, if I help you, you must work as well. And two, stop calling me 'dog'; my name is Puppy."

"Who named you, the village's fool?" Fluffy chuckles slightly as placing a paw on the canine's shoulder. "Just kidding; okay, we'll need a brilliant plan to make my little collaborator a happy member of high society, and me, an even happier member of said society."

"And how are we doing it?"

"Cheating, lying, tricking… that's the feline way!" Fluffy says as Puppy arches an eyebrow at her. "Hey, it worked at Egypt."


	2. Public Relations

- **Public Relations.**

_The next morning, the boy received a huge surprise._

"Wake up, boy, we don't have all day."

"I'm up… I'm up, Fluffy…" Tommy rubs his eyes, and then gasps, "**_'I'm up, Fluffy'_**?"

"There's an echo in here?"

Tommy, now fully awake, jumps on his feet, realizing his cat is talking to him.

"Hey, give him a break; God, I knew this wouldn't be a good idea!"

Tommy then looks around, spotting a little dog talking as well.

"Oh, my… if I look at myself in the mirror, and find out I have turned into a red-haired girl with glasses, and a chimp appears next to me, I'm so going to faint!"

"Relax, boy, you're not crazy." Fluffy says as standing on her back paws. "You see, all cats and dogs can talk, but we never do it in front of humans; otherwise, we would be considered citizens, and forced to work and pay taxes."

"Of course, some of us can handle that fine; my cousin Scooby is getting a living at Hollywood." The dog says at standing up as well and walking next to the cat.

"Then… why are you two suddenly talking to me… and who are you?" Tommy finally gets his voice back, and directs to the dog at the last part.

"I'm Puppy, glad to meet you."

"Good, now we all know each other, here's the situation." Fluffy clears her throat, and then spits something aside, "A fur ball; sorry. Anyway, as you surely understand, I don't want to spend the rest of my nine lives at this barn, and I'm sure you want something better as well."

"Of course I do."

"Well, he and I, but mostly your truly, have a plan to give you a nice life, and getting a more than decent living for me as well… and maybe for Snoopy here." Fluffy points at Puppy, and continues. "For this plan to work, I need you to use that money left to buy me a proper outfit; a cape, a hat, a belt, maybe some ribbons for my ears, and… boots, because I'll need to walk a lot as a human for this to work, and my back paws can't stand it without some sort of shoe. Oh, and buy Puppy something to wear as well… and some breakfast, because we're starving."

"And why you need that?" Tommy arches an eyebrow.

"Well, we can't go see the King and Queen with nothing but our fur, right?" Fluffy says matter-of-factly.

"Okay, now I'm even more confused than I thought it was possible." Tommy rubs his temples.

"Is not that hard to understand; our dear majesties will surely receive two talking, well-dressed animals at their court, I mean, it doesn't happen everyday; especially if they present themselves as the loyal counselors of a nobility member."

"And that will be you." Puppy points at Tommy.

"But I'm just the son of a miller!"

"Not anymore; from now on, you'll be…" Fluffy makes a ceremonious bow, "The Marquis of Cat-As-Bast."

"The Marquis of what?"

"I know; we wanted to call you the Duke of Hazard, Red Baron, Lord Voldemort, or Count Dracula, but those names are taken." Puppy shrugs.

Tommy shakes his head, still not believing what's happening to him. Fluffy sighs, and points at the door.

"Look, just go and get those things, please, and don't give me that look; after all, this is for your own good. And if you don't like the name, well, try inventing a nobility title after developing and planning a life-changing idea in just one night."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_While the boy was out buying what the cat told him, she and Puppy started working as well; for that, they went out of town, at the forest._

"Really, I don't think this is a good idea."

"Oh, please, you only have to chase a rabbit and bring it here for me to catch." Fluffy, hiding behind a bush aside Puppy, rolled her eyes.

"But I'm not a hunting dog, but a guard one, remember? And I'm not exactly good at that either." The dog looks down, sighing.

"Just think you're chasing a bike or a ball."

"Uh… I've never chased anything, not even my tail; was always scared of getting hurt when doing it." The dog admits.

"Trust me; it's not that hard. I would do this myself, but we need to catch the rabbit alive, and that's something I'm not good at." Fluffy then places a paw on the dog's shoulder. "Relax, I know you can do this; just bring Carrot Breath here, and I'm doing the rest."

The dog looks at the cat's eyes for a moment, and sighs while nodding.

_Puppy moved as quietly as possible, crawling and using several bushes for hiding, while approaching an unsuspecting rabbit, munching grass a few feet ahead of him._

"WOOF! WOOF! WOOF!"

Puppy jumps out from the bush, and barks at the rabbit, that just looks at him with a bored expression. After a minute or so, the rabbit shrugs, and goes back to eating. Puppy arches an eyebrow at it, and moves a little closer.

"Uh… Mister Rabbit… excuse me, but I'm a dog, you know? You're supposed to run in fear when I bark."

The rabbit keeps ignoring Puppy, who tries a different approach.

"Maybe I didn't introduce myself properly, so… Eh, what's up, doc?"

The rabbit shakes its head, and keeps munching.

"You don't speak English? Uh… _se habla Español?_"

The rabbit looks again at the little canine, and chuckles slightly before going back to its lunch.

Puppy gets an annoyed look, and, feeling angry for being ignored, start barking again, this time a little louder. The rabbit sighs and, realizing the dog isn't leaving, frowns at him; the dog gulps in surprise, and, before he can do anything, the rabbit stands on its back paws, and kicks the puppy's tail, sending the yelping canine a few feet away.

Puppy rubs his rear as the rabbit, with a triumph smile, goes back to eating. The puppy sobs a little, feeling ashamed; he then looks ahead at the bush where Fluffy is hiding and watching the whole scene, the cat getting a pity look at him.

"No… she is counting on me." Puppy talks to himself, and gets his best frowning expression. The dog goes back with the bunny, growling, and, before the rabbit realizes it, he bites its tail.

The rabbit jumps in surprise, and then rubs its tail while glaring at the dog.

"Droopy is funnier than Roger Rabbit!" Puppy pokes his tongue at the bunny, that angers and charges at the dog; the canine grins widely, and starts running with the rabbit on hot pursuit. A few moments later, the dog jumps at the bush, and the rabbit, enraged, follows him.

The bush starts shaking as loud fight sounds are heard, and Puppy jumps out, panting. After a few moments, Fluffy emerges, dragging a large brown sack.

"Nice work, Puppy; not exactly what I had in mind, but at least we got the bunny."

"Hey, thanks… never thought a rabbit could be that tough." Puppy says as rubbing the back of his head.

"Don't worry; the sack is closed, and he is unconscious." The cat gives the bag to the dog, and then stretches lazily. "Let's go back to the barn; with some luck, our Marquis will have everything by now."

_The cat and dog returned to the barn, Puppy carrying the sack, finding the boy with a little lunch bag and a big box._

"I brought what you said; the clothing wasn't as hard to get as I thought… mostly because I got all from old dolls and action figures at the Church's charity stuff, so didn't cost a thing." Tommy says as handling Fluffy the box, and then looks at the sack. "What's in the bag?"

"Just step one of my brilliant plan." Fluffy says while opening the box, getting a delighted expression. "Cool! Musketeer Cynthia's boots for girls' age 2 to 5!"

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_Much later that same day, the King and Queen were at the throne room…_

FLUSH!

"Honey, we're out of paper!"

_Ehem… wasn't talking about that, but the other, the one with the comfy chairs._

Howard and Betty DeVille, on royal outfits, are sitting at a throne each, checking out some papers.

"Betty, you think we're doing well by increasing the taxes on pumpkins?"

"Of course, I mean, with all those fairy godmothers around, having a pumpkin is like owning a carriage."

"Your Majesties?" Harold, on his AGU version, and dressing as a lackey, enters the room, with a slightly nervous expression.

"What's up?"

"Uh… there's a couple who want talking with you."

"We are not giving audience to anyone until next Monday; give them an appointment." Howard says as getting back to reading.

"They're a talking cat and dog couple."

The King and Queen look at the boy, arching an eyebrow.

"Harold, you hadn't been eating glue again, right?" Betty rubs her temples.

"No, my Queen… and if I were, Prince Phillip wouldn't forgive me for doing it without inviting him."

"True." Both rulers say as rolling their eyes, and then tell the boy to allow the couple to enter.

A few moments later, Betty and Howard wide open their eyes in surprise. Fluffy enters the room walking on her back paws with Puppy, also on his back paws and pulling a wagon with a sack on it, right behind her. The cat is wearing a black hat with a blue feather, a little blue cape, two pink bows on her ears, black collar and belt, and bright red boots, while the dog is wearing nerdy glasses, a red collar, white belt, and a little purple cape.

"Good afternoon, Majesties." The feline says as she and the dog bow respectfully in front of the rulers, her also taking off her hat for a moment. "Allow me to introduce ourselves; I'm Lady Fluffy and my partner is Sir Puppy, and we're here in representation of our master, the Marquis of Cat-as-Bast."

"Uh… glad to meet you, Lady Fluffy and Sir Puppy… and… please excuse me for asking, but…" Howard is politely interrupted by Puppy.

"We understand your surprise, Majesty, but we can assure you we're real, and not demons or witches in disguise."

"Yes; it's just that our young master has a weakness for the bizarre and fantastic, and, well, everybody can have human secretaries, but a cat and a dog… that's pretty original." Fluffy adds, making the rulers to chuckle slightly.

"Good point." Betty gets back her formal attitude. "So, what can we do for your master?"

"Well, I'm sure you hadn't heard about him, and that's because we are new in this kingdom. He's just attending a few businesses left at our land, and then he'll move here; we were sent to buy a few lands, a castle, and stuff like that, plus putting ourselves at your service for whatever you need. Plus, we are giving you a little gift to show our appreciation."

Puppy then opens the sack, and the rabbit, stunned, pokes its head out. The animal is tempted to run away, but a little discreet glare from the cat stops it.

"We were told by a very trustable source," Fluffy gives Puppy a fast glance, "that your son and daughter have a petting zoo, so we're offering this rabbit as proof of friendship."

"Oh, what a nice rabbit; this is a much appreciated gesture." King Howard smiles as Queen Betty rings a little bell; Harold appears shortly after, and is ordered to bring the Prince and Princess to the throne room.

A little later, Lil and Phil, both on their AGU version and wearing royal outfits (she a large pink dress and hat, and he a blue jacket and white pants) enter the room, getting stunned expressions when the cat and dog greet them.

"Oh, boy… talking animals! Mom, Dad, thank you!" Phil says in excitement, getting closer to the animals.

"They're no pets, son. Lady Fluffy and Sir Puppy are servants and counselors of a new noble who's moving to our kingdom, the Marquis of Cat-as-Bast." Betty informs.

"Yes; we are just bringing you two this rabbit as gift from our master." Fluffy adds as showing them the bunny.

"We appreciate the present; hey, this is a wild rabbit." Lil comments as petting the little animal that visibly relaxes for the first time since getting caught.

"Ah, you have a good eye, my dear Princess." Fluffy grins slightly, "You see, the Marquis thought you two would already have lots of domesticated rabbits, so decided a wild one would be something new; it's a little more nervous and harder to handle than your bunnies, but it will get used in a couple of days."

"Tell the Marquis we like the rabbit, and will take good care of it." Lil bows respectfully in front of the cat while Phil simply nods.

_Fluffy and Puppy got invited for dinner, and, of course, they accepted; a while later, they left the castle, with the promise of returning soon with more animals for the Princes' petting zoo._

Fluffy and Puppy leave the building and start walking through the castle's front yard, her sitting at the wagon as the dog pulls it, and holding a bag on her paws.

"If they knew this 'doggy bag' is actually the Marquis' dinner…" Fluffy chuckles slightly at the irony while Puppy shakes his head.

"Yeah, I was thinking the same. You know, that went much better than I expected."

"I told you; nobody knows how royalty thinks as well as a cat. We like the same things; to be attended, listened, and obeyed."

"Good point; and it also surprised me nobody recognized me just by using clothing and these glasses."

"It works for Clark Kent." Fluffy shrugs, and then gets a thoughtful expression, "I just realized something; why you became a stray dog if there's a petting zoo here? The Princes could have accepted you… I mean, why leaving?"

"Same reason I'm helping you and the 'Marquis', actually," Puppy replies, "You see, I might be too coward to play guard dog, but I like to help, and wanted to be something more than a lap dog… and, Fluffy, you are the first person, or animal, that really trusts me and wants my help; you and the 'Marquis' make me feel useful, and I appreciate that more than you can even imagine."

Fluffy smiles as they reach the exterior wall and the guard gives the order to open the door; next to them, there's one of the castle's guard dogs, a brown one with some gray spots on its back, and looking a lot like Puppy.

"You know revealing our talking ability isn't exactly the best idea, right son?" The elder canine whispers to Puppy. "And what are you doing with a cat?"

"Dad, please don't blow our cover… oh, and she's Fluffy; Fluffy, my dad, Spike." Puppy makes a fast and discreet introduction, alert at any human possibly hearing them.

"Glad to meet you, sir. And you can relax; your son is helping me on a mission, aiding a poor homeless boy." The cat says getting her best sad expression, succeeding at making the other dog feel guilty.

"Okay… just be careful, please."

"Sure, Dad, and thanks; oh, and send my greetings to Mom and my siblings." Puppy says as sighing in relief. A moment later, the door opens, and they wave bye to Spike while leaving.

"You realized your dad was a little hostile with me, right? And call me crazy, but I swear he has Bruce Willis' voice." Fluffy says as they get distance from the castle.

"He's a guard dog, remember? And all guard dogs are protective; he's just getting sure nobody gets advantage on me." Puppy then arches an eyebrow and turns to see the cat, "By the way, why I'm playing sleigh dog here?"

"Simple; you're giving me a ride home while I sleep a little; wake me up when arriving, please." The cat yawns and gets a comfortable position, "And don't argue me; since we first met, I've slept only eight hours in a row and had just four cat-naps… and, in my case, that's almost like having insomnia."


	3. The Plan Progresses

**- The Plan Progresses.**

_For the next coming days, the 'Marquis' started studying from several books he could get, so he could act properly when meeting and talking with nobility; on the meantime, the cat and dog kept visiting the castle almost daily, always bringing new pets they could capture at the forest._

_They brought frogs…_

Fluffy is in front of Lil and Phil, and then removes her hat, revealing a little green frog with several yellow spots.

… _turtles…_

Puppy opens the sack so Phil can take out his new pet.

CRUNCH!

Phil takes out his hand, with a turtle biting it. Despite the pain, the boy smiles at the little reptile.

… _bugs to feed them…_

Fluffy and Puppy give the Princes a large box. Phil opens it, and smiles while taking out a large worm.

"Those are for the frogs and Shelly, remember?" Lil glares at the boy, who sighs and puts the worm back at the box.

… _more rabbits…_

"Why this rabbit has a blackened eye?" Lil asks as checking the animal. Puppy rubs the back of his head, his left eye blackened at well and a little band-aid at his right cheek.

"It… offered some resistance."

"Ten rounds; Champ here won by knockout." Fluffy grabs Puppy's left paw and raises it in victory. The dog blushes slightly as the cat gives him a proud look.

… _and wild hamsters._

Lil and Phil chuckle as several hamsters run all over their bodies. Puppy and Fluffy are next to them, with the dog counting the rodents.

"Ten… eleven… twelve… this is weird," Puppy scratches the back of his head, "I thought we had brought thirteen hamsters."

At that moment, Fluffy hiccups and covers her muzzle with both paws. Puppy arches an eyebrow at her, and she replies with a cheesy grin.

"Eh… thirteen is a bad luck's number."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_A few days later, the cat and dog moved on with next step. They went to check some crop fields at the furthest part of the kingdom._

"Uf… once we are done with this plan, I'm never, ever, walking more than necessary to reach my feeding bowl." Fluffy panted as she and Puppy finally reached their destination, a large corn field.

"And why we had to walk so far away?"

"Because, for this mission to work, we can't claim a field the King or the Queen already know the real owner." The cat says, and then spots several villagers, Timmy McNulty and his brothers, working at the field.

"Good afternoon, my dear friends." Fluffy greets the villagers, who wide open their eyes in surprise.

"A talking cat? Whoa, when did Hanna-Barbera Studios moved to this kingdom?" Tim says while rubbing his eyes.

"Let me introduce myself; I'm the representative of the Marquis of Cat-as-Bast, the new owner of this field you work."

"What? But… that's impossible! This field is owned by an ogre; we have a contract with him… he takes 99 percent of the whole harvest, and we get one percent and conserve our heads."

"Did he just say… ogre?" Puppy whispers at Fluffy, gulping. The cat ignores him, and conserves her diplomatic tone.

"Ah, well, that ogre lost the field in a poker game; it was quite surprising, because the guy is known for playing with five aces under his sleeves. Anyway, the Marquis is the new owner, but, since the whole thing was settled in a bet and all, well, we are still working on the contract and the whole legal aspect, but if anyone asks you, this place belongs to the Marquis of Cat-as-Bast. Don't forget it; if you say the ogre is still the owner, it might lead to confusion, and taxing problems, and issues with the union and, well, you get the idea. Trust me, you'll be better working for the Marquis; just fifty percent of the harvest, and your heads will be safe."

The villagers look at each other, and then nod at the cat.

"Fine; we're doing it."

"Good; now, I need you guys to tell me if the ogre owns, or owned, some other field or farm around here. This ogre really lost a lot in that game, and we have to check up all those properties."

_For the rest of the day, Fluffy and Puppy visited all the fields and farms on the ogre's territory, repeating the whole thing and convincing all the workers._

"Fluffy, how can you come up with so many lies in just one day?" Puppy asks his companion as they walk back home.

"I wake up early."

"You never really think about the consequences of everything you do, right?"

"Of course I do. There are some limits I put myself."

"What ones?"

"I'll never turn into a lawyer, a senator, or sell used horses. I still have some morals left." Fluffy says in a casual tone, making Puppy to chuckle.

"You know, if the whole plan succeeds, maybe we can make a career of this kind of thing, I mean, helping kids." Puppy suggests.

"That's not a bad idea. Imagine how we would introduce ourselves…" Fluffy then gets a spokesman-like tone. "Hi, I'm Fluffy! And he's Puppy! And we're your… FURRY GODPARENTS!" The cat exclaims while making a pose, which makes the dog to laugh loudly.

Over a nearby tree, unnoticed by the dog and cat, a pink squirrel frowns and talks to a green one next to her.

"Anyone gets the license these days."

"You're funny, you know that?" Puppy comments at the cat, and then notices a large tree with some bushes around. "Eh… excuse me for a moment; territory marking."

Fluffy rolls her eyes and chuckles a little while the dog goes behind the bushes. The cat yawns and stretches, and sits at a log while waiting her companion to finish.

"So, you're the cat we had heard about, uh?"

_The cat turned, and gulped. In front of her, there were three monsters, not too tall, but very scary-looking; one was fat, with a big nose, hair-covered, and carried his eyeballs on his hands; other was thin and long, with huge red lips, and her whole body covered in white and black stripes; the last one was slightly shorter than the others, with magenta skin and long rabbit-like ears._

"Hey… it's Halloween already? God, time flies on when you have fun!" Fluffy chuckles nervously, trying to recover from the surprise. Puppy, behind the bush, stays hidden at the sight of the creatures.

"No, we aren't disguised, Miss Cat. We are here to protect our master's interests." The fat monster says.

"Yes, you see, we heard one villager commenting something about the ogre losing his lands to a Marquis, and you being his representative." The female monster eyes the cat, making her to gulp a little.

"And the ogre doesn't like when people, or cats, spread lies about him… everybody knows he doesn't play poker! His favorite game is 'Go Fish'!" The short monster finishes. "So, you're going to go tell all villagers you were lying, and then leave before we eat you."

Fluffy thinks about the problem for a few moments, and then gets back her cocky attitude.

"Please, do you seriously think I can't defeat the three of you? I'm an expert fighter, and just last Friday I won a battle against a grizzly and a dozen wolves; you think I'm afraid of a walking hose, a hair ball, and a mutant rabbit?"

"I'M NOT A RABBIT!" The smallest monster growls as his eyes turn bright red. A moment later, it grows the size of an elephant, glaring at a stunned cat.

"So, you defeated a grizzly and a dozen wolves, uh?" The hairy monster grins as he and the female one move aside the now gigantic creature.

"Uh… would you believe a panda and ten hounds?" Fluffy says, fear evident on her voice.

The large monster moves a foot in front of her.

"A rabid raccoon and three Cocker Spaniels?"

The monster shows his large teeth to the feline.

"A smurf with two Chihuahuas?"

The monster raises a clawed hand, ready to grab the cat. Fluffy closes her eyes, fearing her end.

"STOP!"

Puppy dashes in front of Fluffy, and, despite shaking in fear, he snarls at the monsters; the cat looks at him, and gets a worried expression since there's no way he can beat the creatures.

_What happened next surprised the cat and dog greatly. The large monster stared at Puppy, while the other two ones froze in the spot._

"Is that… a… a… a…" The hairy monster says, gulping and shaking.

"D-d-d-dog?" The female bites her nails, nervously.

Puppy and Fluffy look at each other, surprised. Puppy then turns and looks at the large monster's eyes.

"Uh… Woof?"

"**AAAAAAHHHHH!" **The monster shrieks in terror as deflating and recovering his normal size, and immediately cowers behind his companions, who are just as terrified.

Fluffy gets back her usual mischievous grin, and moves aside Puppy, folding her front paws.

"Keep snarling at them." Fluffy whispers at the dog, who obeys, while the cat talks to the monsters, "I see you fear my friend… no wonder you do, really. He is the Marquis' bodyguard, a trained guard dog with an expertise in Tae Kwan Dog, Kung Paw, and Chow Mein."

"Isn't chow mein a food?" The hairy monster asks, still shaking in fear.

"Eh… he is also the Marquis' cook. Now, if you excuse me, I'll leave so he can do his job on the three of you; I can't stand seeing so much violence." The cat turns her back at the monsters, and walks three steps before stopping at the sound of their begging voices.

"NO, PLEASE!"

"DON'T LET HIM EAT US!"

"WE'LL DO ANYTHING YOU WANT… ANYTHING!"

"Anything, uh?" The cat stops and rubs her chin, and then grins slyly at the creatures,

"Fine, here's the deal; I'll contain his paws of fury and destructive jaws, but only if you make a stop with us at next field so I can talk again with the workers and the three of you confirm my story, and add more credibility. After that, and once you give me some information about the ogre, I'll give you three minutes to run for your lives and leave the kingdom before unleashing the mighty barking beast," Fluffy points at Puppy, who barks once to scare the monsters, making them to nod at the feline, "and then I don't want to see or hear any of you for the rest of my nine lives, okay?"

The monsters gulp, and nod in agreement.

"Good; now, let's go. The three of you are walking ahead, and the moment you try anything stupid, the dog has his dinner."

The monsters walk in front of the dog and cat, heading to the closest field. Fluffy and Puppy follow them, and the cat whispers at the canine.

"Now I have even less reasons to fear consequences."

"Why?" Puppy whispers back and the cat smiles at him.

"I have a strong, brave dog to cover my back."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_The next day, Fluffy, Puppy, and the 'Marquis' woke up very early in the morning, and went to a river outside town._

"Okay, 'Marquis', Puppy and I had prepared the stage; now, it's time for you to appear on scene." The cat says to the boy as she paces back and forth, in a military-like way, in front of him and the dog.

"Are you sure, I mean… what if I screw everything up?" Tommy says, gulping.

"I had seen your progress on the last days, and you are more than ready, trust me. Just stick to the story we already discussed, be very polite, stay attentive at my instructions, and everything will be fine."

"I don't know… I mean, I appreciate a lot your help, but… I'm just a villager, and that's what I'll always be." Tommy says, looking down.

"If that's what you think, then you'll be just that!" The feline snaps at him, "Look, I'm supposed to be simply a cat, an animal that scratches the furniture, chases mice, and don't let you sleep at night, and look at me; I had been making deals with royalty for several days now! If I can do that, then you can be anything you want… and I know you aspire to big and better things." The cat cools down a little as motioning the boy to kneel at her level.

"Remember when I was just a kitty, and we played together with those toys you made for me? You always told me your dreams, and your plans, and everything on your head; know you have a good heart, and a lot of potential; I'm just giving you a little push on the right direction. And besides," the cat gets a suggestive tone, "the princess is your age, and she is very pretty… and eager to meet the Marquis of Cat-as-Bast."

Tommy blushes a little, and then turns at Puppy, who is nodding at him.

"Guess I have nothing to lose… okay, what do you want me to do?" Tommy says with lots of confidence on his voice.

"Simple; you're going to take a bath." Fluffy explains, "Harold, one of the palace servants, told me the Royal Family is going on a ride today, so this is the best chance to introduce you to them, but for that we need to get rid of your old clothing and get some proper of a Marquis."

"And how taking a bath will help me, aside getting rid of the barn's smell?"

"I'll explain you in a moment; now, take out all your clothes but the underwear, and jump at the river. Remember to wash behind your ears."

Tommy obeys, and jumps at the water while Puppy buries his old clothes. The boy's face emerges, clenching his teeth and shivering.

"Somehow, making me jump at a river on early morning hours sounds like a revenge for all the times I bathed you against your will!"

"Oh, no, it's everything but that!" Fluffy says with a so-called-innocent face, "But, now you mentioned it… guess is an additional benefit."


	4. The Final Phase

**- The Final Phase.**

_A while later, the Royal Family, on their carriage, surrounded by guards on horses, were on a road not far away from the river. The cat, looking at them from a tree, smiled in anticipation, and, when they were close enough, she jumped down the tree, and dashed to encounter them._

"Stop! Stop, please!"

"Mother, is Lady Fluffy!" Princess Lil, poking her head out from the carriage, tells the Queen. The rest of the royal family notices the cat as well, and make the carriage to stop.

"Oh, Your Majesties, how lucky of me I found you!" Fluffy says, panting and moving aside the carriage.

"It's something wrong?" King Howard asks as him and his family suddenly gets worried expressions.

"Oh… you wouldn't believe what happened! My master was on his way to check up his new properties, and decided to take a bath on a river not far away from here, and a group of burglars emerged from the forest!"

"Is the Marquis okay?" Lil gasps.

"Yes… luckily, the criminals only wanted his horse, money, and clothes… but now, he is at the river, with no clothing at all! Sir Puppy is with him for protection, and I was on my way town to get some help."

"Say no more!" Queen Betty says as motioning one of her guards to get closer, "Lady Fluffy, how tall is the Marquis?"

"Well, my Queen, as I had already told you, he is very young… not much older than the Princes, actually, and I guess he is more or less the same size as Prince Phillip."

"Good." Betty then talks to the guard, "Take the Prince's spare clothing out of the chest, and then go with Lady Fluffy to give it to the Marquis."

"Your master is lucky my son is a dirt-magnet." King Howard comments to the cat, "He gets dirty so easily, we always bring some extra clothes with us, just in case."

_A while later, the guard returned with Fluffy, Puppy, and, of course, the Marquis, who now was wearing the Prince's outfit, that fitted him pretty well; it was a red blazer with golden buttons, a white cape, and bright blue pants, with black shoes._

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Your Majesties… the Marquis of Cat-as-Bast, at your service." Tommy bows respectfully in front of the royal family, who now is out of the carriage.

"The pleasure is ours, Marquis." King Howard and his family vows respectfully as well, and then he motions Tommy to stand straight. "We're sorry our encounter wasn't on more likable circumstances… by the way, I hope those criminals don't give you a bad image about our kingdom."

"Oh, no, sir… actually, most of what I have seen of your kingdom is quite enjoyable." Tommy says, giving Lil a fast glance and blushing slightly; the princess notices, and can't help but blush a little as well.

"By the way, thanks a lot for the clothing, Prince Phillip; I'll return it as soon as I can." Tommy addresses Phil, who shrugs and smiles a little.

"You can conserve it if you want, Marquis; it fits you better than me."

"So, Lady Fluffy told us you're on your way to check your new lands, right?" The Queen asks.

"Oh, yes… I hadn't been able to do it until now, but I trust Lady Fluffy and Sir Puppy more than anyone else, and I know they surely invested my… money on some good terrains," Tommy replies doing his best to keep his new noble's image, "but now I'm afraid that visit will be done some other day…"

"We can take you… I mean, if my parents agree." Lil offers, a little bit too eager; Phil notices, and chuckles a little.

"I wouldn't like to interfere with your schedule…"

"Oh, of course you won't! We had heard so much about you we already feel as if knowing for years now; we'll be more than glad to take you and your counselors wherever you want." Queen Betty says in a pretty familiar mood, which makes Tommy to relax a lot.

"Thanks, my Queen… I'll be honored to accept your invitation." Tommy says, and then waits for the Royal Family to get into the carriage before he and Fluffy doing it themselves; Puppy is told to ride along a guard to lead the way.

_The 'Marquis' and Fluffy had a nice chat with the Royal Family; the King and Queen were quite impressed that someone as young as their son and daughter could handle a nobleman's responsibilities, and the Princes were very comfortable at the idea of spending time with someone their age. The 'Marquis' handled all the questions very well, always getting covered by Fluffy whenever a tough topic was mentioned. After a while, they arrived at the ogre's lands, and, when the villagers saw the cat and dog, they remembered their instructions and told the King and Queen the lands belonged to the Marquis; once they saw their new master, and how polite and gentle he seemed to be, they were more than eager to work for him instead of the ogre._

_That afternoon, the Marquis of Cat-as-Bast and his counselors were invited to spend night at the royal castle, and they accepted. At dinner, it became pretty obvious the Royal Twins and the Marquis had clicked very well, which made both the Kings and Fluffy to get wide smiles._

"So, where are you going to make residence, Marquis?" Betty asks Tommy while the whole group is having dessert. Before he can reply, Fluffy clears her throat to get everyone's attention.

"Actually, my Queen, Sir Puppy and I will go see a property tomorrow; it's a little far away, so, if you excuse us, he and I will retire immediately after dessert so we can rest and wake up early."

"We can provide you with guards and horses for transportation, if you need it." King Howard offered.

"Thanks, Your Majesty, but we already made the proper arrangements. If everything goes well, we'll send a messenger back here so the Marquis can see his new home, and, if you want, we'll be honored if coming as well." Fluffy addresses the Royal Family, getting immediately a positive reply.

_As Fluffy said, she and Puppy went to their assigned room after dinner. _

"Now, this is a bed, and not the box I used to sleep in!" Fluffy says in happiness as jumping at the bed, once getting sure nobody can hear her or the dog, and both animals are now clothing-free.

"This rug is very comfortable; I'm spending the night here." Puppy says as checking a spot next to the bed.

"Uh… Puppy, you don't need to sleep down there; it's fine if you sleep in the furniture. We are guests, remember?" Fluffy tells the dog.

"You… want to… share the bed with me?" Puppy blushes slightly.

"Sure, I mean… it's too big for just the little of me… and… you deserve better than the floor." The cat says, a little bit nervously, yet conserving her usual grin. Puppy hesitates for a moment, but eventually nods and jumps at the bed. The animals get comfy, with the cat leaning her head on the dog's side and throwing her tail over his body while Puppy passes a paw over the cat's back.

"You know… tomorrow is the hardest and most dangerous part of the plan," Fluffy comments, making Puppy to sigh.

"I know… are you nervous?"

"A little… are you scared?"

"A lot."

"Good to know I'm not the only one." Fluffy sighs, and then looks at Puppy in the eye, "When I first thought about this, my intention was to make a deal with the people owning the fields, but now we know he's an ogre, well… You had helped me a lot with this plan, and if think you owe me something, you no longer do; if you want, I can handle this part on my own."

"No… I know it's dangerous, and maybe the most insane thing I had ever heard… and precisely because of that, I'm not letting you do it alone. We started this together, we end this together."

Fluffy smiles widely at the canine, and leans her head again on his side, purring, as she and Puppy finally fall asleep.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_The next morning, Fluffy and Puppy left to do a very dangerous thing, but it was needed to make the plan to work… visit the ogre's castle._

The scene shows a large castle, located a few miles ahead the fields and farms the animals visited previously; it's quite large, and kind of scary, as if Frankenstein lived in there. The inside is scary as well, with several torches to illuminate the otherwise dark and creepy corridors.

Susie Carmichael, on her 'AGU' version, and dressing as a servant, knocks a large door after taking a deep breath.

"WHAT?"

"It… it's me, sir." The girl meekly replies.

"COME IN!"

The girl enters, finding herself face to face with a very ugly and strange creature, about the size of an average man; his skin is grayish green, has a long nose that ends in a red point, two hair tufts at the sides of his head, and wears a black belt, and red women shoes on each of his four legs.

"SPILL IT, GIRL! MY MONSTERS HADN'T RETURNED?"

"No, Master," Susie gulps, "we hadn't get news of any of them since they disappeared two days ago."

The creature is about to slap the girl when another female enters the room; it's Kimi, also on her 'AGU' version and wearing servant clothing as well, and gulps as well when the creature glares at her.

"Excuse me for interrupting, but… there's a cat and a dog at the entrance…"

"Good; prepare them with clam sauce and serve with red wine; remember, I like the dog crispy and the cat half-done."

"Actually, they're seeking audience with you, sir."

"An audience… well, it had been a while since I had some fun, so, why not? Tell them to pass and wait for me at the main room." The creature growls at the girl, and then motions Susie to leave as well.

"Time for a little change," The creature smiles evilly as touching his belt; a silver glow covers him a moment later, and then…

POP!

Instead of the weird creature, there's now a huge ogre, dressed on a royal outfit; he has dark green skin, long ears, and huge boar-like tusks coming out from his mouth.

_On the meantime, the maid brought Fluffy and Puppy to the huge main room, and left quickly, yet she and the other servant stayed right behind one of the room's doors to hear everything happening on the inside._

"Who decorated this place? Tim Burton?" Puppy gulps in fear as looking around; Fluffy tries to remain cool, but obviously is as scared as the dog.

"So, you're the ones seeking for an audience, uh?"

The animals turn left, and gulp when looking at the ogre entering from a nearby door.

"My time is precious and my hunger immense, so let's cut the chase, and tell me what do you want?"

Fluffy takes a deep breath, and after giving Puppy a fast glance, that he replies with a little nod, she talks to the ogre.

"Uh… Mister Ogre… we are here with information about what happened to your emissaries."

"WHAT? YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED WITH THAT TRIO OF FOOLS?"

The cat backs a few steps at the ogre's outburst; Puppy notices her scared expression, and moves aside her for support.

"Yes, we do… they… were kicked out of the kingdom by your rivals, sir." Puppy says as convincing as he can.

"WHAT RIVALS ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?"

"You see," Fluffy gets her voice back, "there are some wizards and witches that want your territory, and decided to get rid of your servants, for starters."

"WHO ARE THOSE FOOLS WHO DARE DEFYING ME?"

"Let's see… The Wizard of Oz, Sabrina Spellman, Hermione Granger, David Copperfield… the usual suspects, you know."

"ARGH! I'M SO GOING TO TEAR THEM TO PIECES…"

"Well, they're still trying to decide if making a full attack." Fluffy continued, "And that's another reason we're here; they sent us to confirm how powerful you really are. If we give a report saying you're just too mighty for them, your territory will be safe without fighting."

"So… you two came for a demonstration of my abilities." The ogre smirks evilly at the animals.

"Oh, yeah, and we're very curious about them… among other things, we were told you can take any shape you want." Puppy says, doing his best to keep control.

"And you're correct… now, take a close look, because you'll be among the very few ones who will live to tell others about my amazing powers!" The ogre growls, and then, a silver glow cover him, transforming him in a split second.

POP!

Fluffy and Puppy embrace in fear at the sight of the large gray wolf snarling at them.

"If you think this is scary," the wolf grins in a sinister way, "look at this one."

POP!

ROAR!

Puppy closes his eyes while Fluffy gasps; instead of the wolf, there's now a large purple-grayish leopard showing his fangs and claws at her.

"And, of course," the leopard smirks, "a little reptilian touch is always welcome."

POP!

The room suddenly seems to be incredibly small as Fluffy and Puppy wide open their eyes in panic at the gigantic green dinosaur standing in front of them.

"I'M REPTAR!" The dinosaur roars, and the little creatures embrace even tighter while closing their eyes.

POP!

"I made my first million working in Japanese movies." The ogre laughs loudly, and Fluffy and Puppy, hesitantly, break the embrace.

"That… was very impressive, sir… but… can you turn into little animals?" Fluffy meekly suggests.

"Yes, but it would be very stupid from me to do it; I mean, what kind of fool would turn into, let's say, a mouse, when a cat is at the same room?" The ogre says in a knowing tone.

"Of course; wow, you're not just powerful, but wise." Fluffy says as she and Puppy give each other a nervous look. Then, the cat's expression brightens, and her sly grin returns.

"And… how good are you turning into objects?"

"Objects?"

"Oh, yeah, like weapons or various stuff; all these sorcerers after your territory are very fast spell-casters, so, if don't have the ability to change quickly into anything, they'll probably defeat you before getting the right form."

"I heard one of them is talking with a guy from Agravah who has this blue genie that transforms into anything you ask him; if he joins the battle, might best you." Puppy adds, earning himself an impressed look from Fluffy.

"NOBODY CAN BEST ME!"

"Let's make a test; we are naming an object, and you change into it as quickly as you can." Fluffy suggests.

"HA! I can do that eyes-closed! Go ahead, start!"

Fluffy and Puppy nod to each other and the cat starts.

"Turn into… a red hood."

POP!

A red cloth appears a second later.

"Now, a sticks-made house!" Puppy exclaims.

POP!

A little house, totally made of sticks, is now in front of the animals.

"A crystal slipper!"

POP!

"An apple!"

POP!

"A wooden puppet!"

POP!

"A gingerbread house!"

POP!

"A magic carpet!"

POP!

"A pumpkin!"

POP!

"FIVE GOLDEN RINGS!" Both animals chorus.

POP!

"A rose!"

POP!

"A flying broom!"

POP!

"A beanstalk!"

POP!

"A tin-can man!"

POP!

"A cookie!"

POP!

CRUNCH! Munch! Munch! Munch!

Kimi and Susie leave their hiding place, and gasp as the cat licks her paw and cleans the crumbs from her whiskers.

"You… ate… the master…" Susie, surprised, gets her voice back.

"I can't believe you ate him just like that!" Kimi exclaims.

"I know… should have asked for chocolate chips, but was fine anyway." Fluffy replies calmly.

Kimi and Susie look at each other for a moment, and then hug while jumping and laughing in happiness.

"This is great! No more yelling, no more abuse, no more slapping…"

"No more cutting his toenails!" Kimi adds, getting joy's tears.

"Thank you, thank you, oh, thank you so much!" Susie directs to the cat and dog, "if there's anything you want us to do, just say it!"

"Well… there's something you can do," Fluffy says as slightly rolling her eyes at Puppy, who smiles widely in reply, "But, before that… got milk?"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_Much later that same day, a messenger arrived at the Royal Castle, asking the Marquis to go see his new home; the Kings and Princes, of course, were invited as well. The same messenger leaded the way._

"You seem a little nervous, Marquis." Princess Lillian comments as slightly touching her new friend's hand.

"I'm just… anxious about my new home, Princess… but thanks for your concern." Tommy replies with a wide smile. He obviously is more than a little nervous, but the princess' touch calms him down the rest of the way.

"Hey, this is the place?" Prince Phillip's comment makes everyone at the carriage to look out; Tommy almost faints at the sight of the castle he supposedly owns.

In front of the castle, Susie is giving instructions to some villagers, all of them carrying buckets with paint and some other stuff. She then notices the royal transport, and motions everyone for a proper reception.

"Your Majesties," Susie vows in front of the Royal Family and Tommy, and then addresses him, "and you must be the Marquis. Allow me to introduce myself; I'm Lady Carmichael, one of the castle's previous owner's servants; Lady Fluffy asked me to hire these people for the building's repairing and redecoration, since my old master barely gave it any maintenance, and she also suggested me and another servant to continue our job keeping an eye on the people working on your new properties, if that's fine with you."

"Of… of course, it's fine with me. I trust my counselors and their criteria." Tommy finally gets his voice back. Susie then walks him and the Royal Family to the inside, where Kimi and Puppy are checking up and deciding the changes to be made at the building; the dog notices them the moment they enter the main room.

"Oh, Marquis, Your Majesties, allow me to introduce Lady Watanabe; she is going to help us alongside Lady Carmichael to get this place in shape in no time."

"At your service," Kimi vows respectfully, getting approving looks from Tommy and the family, especially from Prince Phillip.

"So… Sir Puppy, can you tell us where's Lady Fluffy?" Tommy asks his friend.

"She is having a… last meeting with the previous owner."

FLUSH!

"God bless these little anachronisms." Fluffy walks out from a nearby room, cleaning her paws with a piece of paper, and then goes to the main room.

"I see you had arrived," Fluffy greets, "Ladies Carmichael and Watanabe offered to give us a little tour. Shall we?"

The servants guide the group through the corridors, with Fluffy walking next to Tommy.

"Don't know how you got this," Tommy whispers at the cat, "but, how are we going to pay this lifestyle and keep my Marquis' image?"

The cat says nothing yet gets a huge smile when the servants stop next to a large door.

"We gave orders to keep your treasure in this vault, Marquis; hope you approve." Susie says as Kimi opens the door. Everyone but the animals (who had already seen the room) and the servants gasp at the sight; the room is filled up with tons of golden coins and assorted jewelry, the treasure the ogre gathered from so many years of exploding the people at his lands.

"Yes… I approve." Tommy smiles at the sly grinning cat.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_The new Marquis stayed with the Royal Family until the castle's remodeling was finished. By then, it was painted in golden and silvery tones, and the interior was far more likable, but, most importantly, the former village boy and the Princess were now so obviously fond on each other, her parents actually arranged them to wed when they were adults, something they both happily agreed. Prince Phillip, who always went with the Marquis for his daily visits to check up the castle's renovation, became attracted to Lady Watanabe, and invited her to be the petting zoo-keeper when finishing her current job, and she accepted._

_And, for Fluffy and Puppy…_

"I died and am in Heaven." Fluffy exclaims when looking at her new bedroom; as she asked for, it's filled up with cushions, scratching posts, and yarn balls, plus having a closet with assorted clothing and cat toys.

"Your room is very nice, Fluffy," Puppy walks next to her, "I'm still deciding what I want for mine; maybe just a regular bed, and some toys here and there."

"It's a deal."

"What do you mean?"

"That we can have those toys here, and instead of a bed, you can sleep at a cushion, if you want." Fluffy tells, and then gives Puppy a warm look. "Let's just say I got used to us sleeping together, and would like to keep doing it."

Puppy blushes, and smiles at the cat.

"I'll be one year old in four months… officially, an adult dog," Puppy comments as holding paws with Fluffy.

"I'm a little older than that, you know… I'll be three in a couple of months."

"I like older girls… including pretty cat girls."

"And I don't really like dogs… but hey, can make an exception; a very nice and lovable exception."

The animals embrace, and then kiss… in a very human-like way.

_**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

"And they lived happily ever after." Taffy ends the story, getting wide smiles and even some clapping from the babies and Angelica. "You liked the story, Minis?"

"Yes, it was very nice, Taffy." Angelica says as the babies nod at the nanny.

"Glad you enjoyed it. Well, I'll better get the glasses and the bowl to the kitchen; want to help me, Angelica?"

The blonde nodded, and followed Taffy carrying the now empty bowl.

"You were right, Taffy… that cat was a little mischievous girl, but she was a hero!"

"Yes, she did… but, did you realize that, even if doing some bad things, like lying and cheating, she also had nice details with her friends? That's how they knew she wasn't a bad kitty, even if acting naughty at times."

Angelica opened wide her eyes in realization.

"Yeah… and wasn't afraid of saying nice things to them, and she always was very grateful with the dog." The blonde sighed.

"And, as smart as was, she also had to face the consequences of lying, at least once, when the monsters attacked her."

"Uh… Taffy… you think the babies will forgive me?"

"Why don't you go and ask them?" Taffy proposed; the girl gave her a little smile, and returned to the backyard, where the babies were discussing the tale.

"I liked that story a lot." Kimi commented.

"I would like to have a kitty like that one." Lil giggled.

"Yes… even if she was a liar." Phil said.

"And was tricky," Tommy pointed.

"And a cheater," Kimi chuckled.

"Just like Angelica," Chuckie looked down. The other babies looked at him, and got stunned looks in realization.

"Maybe we were too hard on her." Lil sighed.

"Yes… she can be a meanie, but she always gives us something to do." Tommy commented.

"And she can be funny at times." Kimi added.

"And teaches us lots of games and stuff… sure, many times it's a lie or a trick, but at least we never get bored with her around." Chuckie pointed.

"But she is a bad girl." Phil groaned.

"And if we no longer allow her to play with us, then we'll be the bad ones." Chuckie told his friend.

"Well… sometimes she defends us from big kids." Phil admitted.

The babies got silent, looking at each other.

"Hey, babies."

Everyone turned at Angelica, who was avoiding eye-contact with them.

"Look… I understand why you got angry with me… I mean, wouldn't like someone bigger to boss me all day… but… as much as I hate to say this… you dumb babies are MY dumb babies, and even if sometimes I don't want to be with you, wouldn't like us not playing again… so… can you forgive me, please?"

The babies looked at the girl for a few moments, until Tommy walked next to her.

"We are forgiving if you promise not being so mean with us again."

"Uh… well, I can try." Angelica shrugged.

"That's enough for me!" Tommy chuckled and hugged Angelica. The girl was so surprised she barely realized when the rest of the babies hugged her as well.

"Okay, okay, don't get so affective either!" Angelica said as pushing the babies back, "Ugh, I got your drool all over my dress!"

The babies giggled, and Angelica couldn't help but laugh a little as well.

"I have an idea, babies; let's play 'Tag'; I'll be the first one chasing, but giving you time to run."

"I like that idea!" Kimi said, and the other babies nodded.

"Okay, then… run!" Angelica ordered, and all the babies but Chuckie ran.

"Finster, you're supposed to run, remember?"

"You lied when saying you would try, right?" Chuckie folded his arms.

"Uh… maybe," Angelica grinned slyly.

"You're hopeless." Chuckie laughed, and then ran away as Angelica smirked and got chase.

"Look who's talking! Come here, Finster!"

**THE END.**

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(Seriously, do you really think Fluffy and me are that much alike?) She is your pet, you tell me. (Now you mention it…)

While you think, can say the second disclaimer? (Sure; as you guys noticed, Acosta had some characters from other show in cameos/little roles, namely Ickis, Oblina, Krumm, and The Grumble, from '_AAAH! Real Monsters'_, and we also had a little cameo of Cosmo and Wanda, from _'Fairly Oddparents'_, all copyrighted by Nickelodeon as well. We also had references to several shows and movies, including _'The Dukes of Hazzard'_, Harry Potter's movies and book's series, _'Get Smart', 'Sabrina, The Teenage Witch', 'Scooby Doo',_ '_Who Framed Roger Rabbit?', _and Disney's '_Aladdin'_, none of them owned by Acosta. We also had several references to classic fairy tales, all of them public domain.)

I also want to admit a very huge influence for this fic; one of my regular reviewers, chuckangie, real name Jonathan Sario. (Yep; he has a web comic called _'Fuzzy_ _Things'_, and many of his characters, all of them anthropomorphic animals, have characteristics from the ones of 'Rugrats/AGU', including yours truly. If you can, take a look at his job; the guy is good.)

Thanks a lot to everyone who reviewed! (And is time to go, so long, buddies!)

Keep the good writing.


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